8/18/23, 7:41 PM Change Control Board: Roles, Responsibilities & Processes
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PLANNING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, RISK MANAGEMENT
Change Control Board: Roles, Responsibilities
& Processes
by Brenna Koeneke | Jun 1, 2022
It’s a given that there will be changes to the project plan during the project execution
phase. It’s impossible to factor in everything—from weather to supply chains to
change requests—something is going to conspire against your schedule and budget.
This is why projects have a change control board.
Project management is methodical, but change is not. If changes are requested, the
change control board shows how those changes are managed with the least amount
of disruption to the project’s plan. The importance of a change control board to a
successful, high-quality project cannot be overstated.
What Is a Change Control Board?
A change control board is sometimes referred to as a change review board. It’s a group
of people from the project team that meets regularly to consider changes to the
project. Through this process of detailed examination, the change control board
decides on the viability of the change request or makes recommendations
accordingly. A change control board includes representatives of the relevant
functional areas of the project in addition to the project manager. There are likely also
experts, customers and sponsors included. Of course, depending on the project and
the organization, others might be involved.
Larger projects that include many teams working together typically have a central
change control board in addition to various change boards specific to their project
area. These teams report to the central change board that has the final say on the
matter. There might also be a site change board for smaller changes that only impact
remote sites.
Once the change control board has approved a change, the change must be
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8/18/23, 7:41 PM Change Control Board: Roles, Responsibilities & Processes
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What Does a Change Control Board Do?
A change control board looks at change requests which are then reviewed in detail.
The changes differ from the baseline requirements set at the approval of the project
plan. The change control board then debates the pros and cons of a change, which is
why it’s important to have a change control board that reflects all project aspects,
from the team to the end-user.
By everyone evaluating the change from their perspective, the change control board
determines if the change is worth the impact it might have on the schedule and
budget of the project. Once a decision is made, it’s delivered to the project team and
the client. The change control board is not always the last word on the subject,
though. While the change control board usually has the authority, its decision is not
always final and binding.
Change Control Board Roles & Responsibilities
The roles on a change control board differ by project, organization and industry. In
general, there are fundamental roles that are common in all change control boards.
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The manager leads the group, coordinates the activities and oversees all aspects of
change. That is, they prioritize the change requests and lead the impact assessment
of how the change affects the project. The change manager is responsible for
documenting the change management process and the necessary plans to implement
the change. They also lead change control board meetings.
Approvers
As the title suggests, an approver or change authority decides if the change is
authorized or rejected. This can be an individual, often a manager or executive, but
the response can also rest on the change control board so they can make the decision
together. Approvers work closely with managers to approve and direct change in the
organization and/or project. In smaller organizations, however, the approver and the
change manager are the same people.
Business Stakeholders
It’s common to have business stakeholders involved in change management and
participate in the change control board. That means that various departments can be
brought in to better understand the impact of the change. These can, for example, be
representatives from the sales or finance departments if these teams are impacted by
the change.
Team Members
Teams working on the project are often the ones who submit changes to the change
control board. They’ll document why they believe the change is important and help
the project. Not only are they suggesting the change, but they will be the ones to
implement, monitor, and respond to any change-related issues. These teams can be
software developers, testers, quality assurance offices, marketing teams, etc.
Customer Service/Technical Support/Help Desk Agents
Anyone who is responsible for interacting with customers needs to have a place on
the change control board. They are on the front lines of the business, dealing with
those who actually use the product or service and have an intimate understanding of
whether a change will have a positive or negative impact.
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Developing a Process for the Change Control Board
Part of controlling change is having a process. The change control board is part of the
change management planning for a project or organization. It’s a way to capture
change, examine it and either accept or reject it.
The first step is identifying the need for a change. These changes can come from the
team, manufacturer or other stakeholders. Wherever the change originates, capturing
it is important to begin the process.
Next, a change control board is assembled or the change request is delivered to the
board for review. As noted, the change control board is made up of people from each
stage of the project’s life cycle to facilitate a well-rounded discussion and place the
change in a larger context.
It’s at this point that the change control board defines the outcome and aim of the
change control process. A timeline is set to ensure that the change and
documentation are created to align the change with the project goals.
Rather than being reactive, the change control board needs to stay proactive when
dealing with costs and schedules to avoid any damaging impact. If the change is
approved, the change control board will deliver a timeline followed by a testing and
iteration stage. They’ll continue to meet and discuss potential problems and make sure
the change stays on schedule.
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Best Practices for CCBs
The importance of a change control board is clear: without a process in place to
manage project changes, you could negatively impact the timeline and costs
associated with the project. We’ve already discussed the first best practice; make the
board a diverse representation of project representatives, including all stakeholders,
select team members, customers, suppliers, etc.
Once you have a cross-section of project stakeholders on board, you want to clearly
define their responsibilities. For the change control board to be effective, it should be
just the right size to respond to changes quickly and with enough technical and
business acumen.
Just as you create a charter for a project, you should do so with your change control
board. This allows you to define the purpose of the board, the scope of its authority,
membership criteria and responsibilities, operating procedures and the decision-
making process. When shared, this makes it clear what the board does and what it
doesn’t do, allowing it to act more effectively. You’ll also want to note how often you
meet and what prompts special, unplanned meetings.
The most important thing is agreeing on a decision-making process to keep everyone
aligned. It determines how you define a quorum, what rules govern your activities on
h h lb d h h f h b d h d if d i i
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8/18/23, 7:41 PM Change Control Board: Roles, Responsibilities & Processes
the change control board, the power the manager of the board has and if decisions
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As you’d expect, communication is critical, so the channels and frequency in which
stakeholders are updated must be well-defined. There should be a member whose
responsibility is to update those stakeholders. Ideally, there should be one depository
for information to ensure everyone is working with the most current data.
Don’t forget about scope creep. It should be top of mind of all change control
members and stakeholders will push for changes that impact the scope of the project.
It’s the job of the change control board to take those requests seriously and balance
them against the timeline and costs of the project.
How ProjectManager Helps Manage Change &
Projects
In order to have an effective change control board that delivers projects that are
successful, on time and within budget, you need a tool that captures real-time data.
ProjectManager is cloud-based software that gives the project team and the change
control board real-time data to allow them to make more insightful decisions.
Track Changes With Real-Time Dashboards
We already mentioned how our multiple project views have tags to help you keep track
of changes as they move through the project. The real-time dashboard does even
more. It provides a high-level view of the progress and performance of those changes,
automatically calculating data and displaying it in colorful graphs that track six
metrics. Unlike less powerful software, there’s no setup required and it’s ready to use
when you are.
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Keep Stakeholders Updated With One-Click Reports
Change control boards need data. The dashboard is good for a general overview, but
when they want to zero in on something and take a closer look, one-click reports can
be generated for status or portfolio reports, time, cost and more. All reports can be
filtered so board members can focus on the most relevant data. Reports are also easily
sharable and come in multiple formats to keep stakeholders updated.
Because there’s one source of project truth, both the project team and the change
control board can work with the same data. Our collaborative platform connects
hybrid teams anywhere and at any time. Share files, add tasks and make comments in
real time. Whether you’re in the office, in the field or working from home, we give you
the tools to collaborate and stay productive.
Related Content on Change Control Boards
10 Key Project Roles & Their Responsibilities
Change Control Board: Roles, Responsibilities & Processes
What Is a Project Director? Role, Responsibilities and Salary
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8/18/23, 7:41 PM Change Control Board: Roles, Responsibilities & Processes
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